Digital Partner of Record and Partner Association

Now, multiple partners can get credit for driving customer cloud consumption. We’ve made program enhancements to benefit all partners involved in a
cloud subscription. With DPOR and new Partner Association methods, multiple partners can be recognized for the value they add to customers’ cloud subscriptions, and everyone benefits.

Frequently asked questions

As a partner, you are crucial to customer success in selling, implementing, deploying, or managing solutions based on Microsoft cloud services. We strive to ensure every customer has the level of partner support they need to maximize their business outcomes from these solutions.

We recognize partners for the role(s) they play in supporting these cloud-based solutions, from the initial transaction to the solution deployment and ongoing customer support. Recently, we announced new program enhancements that will benefit all the partners involved in a cloud subscription, as well as the Digital Partner of Record (DPOR).

In addition, the customer’s Global Admin for each cloud subscription can designate their lead services partner as the DPOR through their admin portal, which identifies the key services/lifecycle support partner who’s engaged in providing ongoing support. DPORs have access to important information necessary to fully support customers and will be the contact for FastTrack services.

Now, multiple partners can get credit for driving customer cloud consumption. When we initially established the DPOR process, only DPOR partners received credit toward a competency. Over time, it’s become clear that several customer scenarios include more than one partner. When multiple partners are adding value in customers’ cloud subscriptions, everyone benefits.

Since the performance of every partner involved in a cloud subscription matters, we’re introducing Partner Association, which allows us to recognize work that’s being done by partners who are not the DPOR.
If you work on a cloud subscription but are not listed as the DPOR, we’ve begun to recognize usage and consumption data from the sources listed below:

This change will help you earn credit and qualify earlier for a cloud competency. We’ve automated the process so there’s no action needed on your part, other than engaging with a customer through one of the models listed above.
Also, if you’re wondering how Partner Association impacts incentives, there are no changes—DPOR is still required and is the only path to qualify for incentives.

DPOR automates how partners are attached as the Partner of Record for the subscriptions you are actively managing for customers for Microsoft Office 365, Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online, Dynamics 365, AX7, Microsoft Intune, Enterprise Mobility Suite (EMS), and Microsoft Azure.

DPOR allows partners to:

Support customers’ cloud services, helping to deliver strong business outcomes and high ongoing services levels for the customer.

Qualify for MPN cloud competencies that will help you grow your business and unlock benefits, such as unlimited cloud support, sales and technical training to develop your expertise, internal software use rights, and other special offers.

Gain insight into your customers’ cloud consumption and usage, allowing you to monitor and proactively engage with your customers, implement solutions, and help them reach their desired business outcome. This insight can also be leveraged for cross-sell/upsell opportunities, and allows partners to proactively engage customers at risk for non-renewal.

TTM consumption is calculated for the subscriptions who have DPOR attached. In case a partner owns some subscriptions, this is not enough. Partner has to be attached as DPOR for the owned subscriptions. The consumption will be calculated only from the date DPOR is attached.

Very important! – A partner added as DPOR in their own subscription will not earn monetary incentives for the associated consumption.

If you are providing your customer with the key support and lifecycle services for their cloud subscription(s), make sure you are designated as their DPOR. Explore the resources on this site and work with your customers to attach you as their DPOR for each Microsoft Office 365, CRM Online, Dynamics 365, AX7, Microsoft Intune, EMS, and Azure subscription you actively manage.

Other Partner Association methods:

If you are not listed as DPOR but provide deployment or ongoing lifecycle support, ensure you are designated as a delegated administrator by your customer so that the usage you drive can count toward your MPN Cloud Competency qualification.

Customers benefit from adding a Digital Partner of Record. Doing so provides the partner with access to usage and consumption data, which allows the partner to better serve the customer and help them perfect the use of Microsoft services for their desired business outcome. This partner will also be automatically contacted for any FastTrack services questions or issues.

Learn more about Digital Partner of Record and other methods of Partner Association, what it means for partners, and how to help your customers designate you as a partner for their cloud subscriptions.

Partner Association Overview for Partners
This deck provides an overview of Partner Association capabilities, including Digital Partner of Record, for Microsoft Office 365, CRM Online, Intune, EMS, and Azure and step-by-step guidance you can use to help your customers add you as a partner for their cloud subscriptions.
Download the Partner Association Guide for Partners

Offer Delegated Administration
Partners who are certified to offer delegated administration can request their customers to authorize them as a delegated administrator. With Delegated Admin Privileges (DAP), partners can administer an organization’s account on behalf of a client, and can perform tasks such as adding users, resetting passwords, and adding domains. To get customer approval for DAP, partners first need to send them an offer for delegated administration. This can be included with a trial invitation or purchase offer, or can be offered to the customer at a later time.Watch video on how to offer delegated administrationFollow step-by-step guidance on sending offers and assigning permissions

Additional support

If your customers have any problems or questions about this process and the ability to assign, maintain, and change and remove their Partner of Record:

For Office 365, CRM Online, Dynamics 365, AX7, Intune or EMS, they can click the Support link on the left navigation pane of the Office 365 admin portal screen to get access to Technical and Billing support and to find support options and recommendations.

Known issues

DPOR Attach Error Message in the Microsoft Azure portal

When attempting to attach a partner as a Digital Partner of Record in the Microsoft Azure portal, some customers may receive the error message: “We are sorry, but we could not complete that operation.”

Customers receive this error message when their selected partner has not opted in to the Microsoft Online Services Partner Agreement (MOSPA) when the partner enrolled or renewed their Microsoft Partner Network (MPN) membership. To resolve this issue, the partner must log into the Partner Membership Center and opt into the MOSPA. Partners should allow 24 hours after they opt into MOSPA before asking their customers to again attempt to add them as a Digital Partner of Record.